At first, I was going to limit this to those cheesy made-for-cable movies, but then I realized I was leaving out some excellent TV specials that never went to theaters. So some of these are classics and some are pure fromage.
- Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas: The original narrated by Boris Karloff. The soundtrack makes the movie. “I wouldn’t touch you with a 39 1/2 foot pole!”
- Charlie Brown Christmas: The soundtrack and these awesome dance moves.
3. Grumpy Cat’s Worst Christmas Ever. This is exactly what it should be. The movie breaks the fourth wall to make fun of itself.
4. If You Believe: A snarky book editor’s inner child comes out to help her adult self find joy at Christmas. (It’s streaming free on Amazon Prime right now. Click the image to add it to your watchlist.)
5. Stealing Christmas, or as my husband and I call it, A Tony Danza Christmas. I have no idea what makes this movie such a favorite. It could be Tony Danza playing a grouchy ex-con or Lea Thompson being cute. Nah, it’s probably Betty White. Betty White makes everything better.
Honorable Mention: The Flight before Christmas. Because this….
What holiday TV movies are on your must-see list?
If you’re looking for Christmas reading, please consider the holiday compilations in which I’ve participated:
